Dental mouth-mirror.



EATENTED MAY. 5, 1903'. 0. s. STREET.

DENTAL MOUTH MIRROR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 190 2.

ND MODEL.

INVENTOH M4 0515M ATTORNEY [Q &\ rlllllllllllllllnlln Illa QM. @AEMQUNiTn STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

DENTAL MOUTH-MIRROR.

SPECIFICATION forming. part of Letters Patent No. 727,483, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed March 21, 1902. Serial No. 99,257. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER S. STREET, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in DentalllIouth-Mirrors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to dental mouth-mirrors. Such devices are employedin dental surgery, the mirror mounted on the end of a long handle beinginserted in the mouth of the patient to reflect cavities and relativepositions thereof and of contiguous teeth and gum. Such devices havetheir chief utility in enabling the dental surgeon to see the cavityduring the process of filling it with goldleaf, &c.; but at such timethe mirror, unless provided with a retaining-point, as will hereinafterappear, must be withdrawn from the mouth after inspection of the cavityfrom time to time, because the two hands of the surgeon during thefilling are engaged, one of them with the retaining-point and the otherof them with the plugging instrument.

The objects of my present invention are to provide a dental mouth-mirrorhaving a retaining-point carried thereby which shall be supported in asimple and efficient manner from the back of the mirror and extend overthe mirror in a desirable location, all as will hereinafter appear.

To these ends myinvention consists of the device having thedistinguishing features of construction hereinafter described, theessentials in the several combinations of parts to perform therespective functions of the device being pointcd out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure l is an elevation inperspective of my device; Fig. 2, a sectional view thereof on the line 12 of'Fig. 1, the section being exaggerated to show more clearly theconstruction. Fig. 3 is a plan view from the under side of theinstrument, the retaining-point on the upper side being indicated bydotted lines; and Fig. 4. is a vertical section through line 3 4 of Fig.3, illustrating a feature of the device.

The state of the art in dental hand-mirrors ness of the mirror.

- is best stated by reference to Fig. 1 of the combination with such adevice I apply my improvements now to be described.

The handle a has a narrow metallic portion a, on which the base of themirror-frame b is mounted, usually connected thereto by soldering. Themirror 0 is usually in the form of a flat disk. The supporting-frame b,in which the mirror is mounted and held, is a metallic disk with a fiatbase I), (see Fig. 2,) shallow vertical rim b and an inturned annularflange b The distance between the base I) and the flange b is equal tothe thick- Hence the latter is held firmlyin place within the saidmounting. To such device I apply my point-holder d, which is a flatnarrow strip of metal, one side (1 of which coincides with the base I)of the mirror-frame and is secured to said base at its center,preferably by a set-screw d or other like means, which will constitute apivotal connection in order that said holder d may be adjusted to anypoint on the periphery of the mirror-holder b.

The strip of metal forming the point-holder dis bent upward from thebase, forming a short vertical side (i and then inwardly to form theside (1 the extreme end of which is thickened in any suitable manner andscrewthreaded, as shown at d", Fig. 2, to receive the screw-threaded endof the point d". Various forms and shapes of points are employed in thisbranch of dentistry, they being necessarily mounted on longoperating-handles. The variety of these points in length, curves, doublecurves, and other shapes to adapt them to reach all kinds of cavities inteeth of naturally diiferent shapes, character, and location in themouth is quite extensive. With my device I use the same points; butinstead of mounting them on a handle I provide them with a shortvertical screw-threaded ende, said end being adapted to register withthe screw-threaded opening in the end (1 of the holder d. By such meansof pivotal connection any of the known varieties of points can be usedwith my device, the substitution of one for another involving no morethan unscrewing one from the holder and substitut ing another therein.Aside from that advantage the pivotal mountingof the point in the holdergives a freedom of movement relatively to the holder on the applicationof manual pressure through the handle a.

An additional feature of my invention, which is not essential to it, butadds to its utility, is the locking device, consisting in serrating theinturned annular flange b of the mirror-holder b, as shown in Fig. l andexaggerated section, Fig. 4, the serrations it being ,diametrical. Thecoacting element is made by sex-rating or grooving the under face of theoverlapping part or arm (1 in the direction of its length, as at m. (SeeFig. 4.) As there is more or less spring or resiliency in saidoverlapping arm d of the pointholder, it is obvious that pressure on thepoint when applied to a tooth will cause the serrations h to registerwith the grooves m and lock the point-holder to the inturned flange b ofthe mirror-holder and that on removal of the whole device from the mouthof the patient the parts will return to normal relative position and thelocking contact of said parts be removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a dental mouthmirror comprising anoperating-handle, a flat disk-shaped frame with upturned flange edge anda disk-like mirror held within the same, of a radially-adjustablepoint-holder consisting of a single metallic strip, a pivot or setscrewconnecting said strip to the back or the base of the mirror-frame, theopposite end of said single strip being turned to partly overlap themirror and provided with means over the mirror to removably support adental point; substantially as described.

2. In combination with a dental mouthmirror, comprising a handle, adisk-like mirror, and a flat disk-shaped frame therefor having anannular flanged edge which is radially serrated, of a point-holdercomposed of a metallic strip pivotally mounted at one end on the base ofthe mirror-frame, then bent upward and over the said frame and providedthereat with longitudinal grooves on its under face, the other and upperend of said strip having means thereat to removably support apoint-holder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto affixed my signature this 19th dayof March, A. D. 1902.

CHRISTOPHER S. STREET.

\Vitnesses:

MAUD RIGHTMIRE STREET, CHAS. P. RooNEY.

